Automatic phonograph apparatus.



' 1:. W. NORGROSS. AUTOMATIC PEONOGRAPH APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.9, 1907.

gwfi Patented M113, 1908. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTQR ATTORNEY I W. NURCROSSD AUTOMATIG PHONOGRAPH APPARATUS,

h A D as APPLIUATION FILED AUG.9, 1907.

Patented 0015. 13, 1908.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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"TED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ISAAC W. NORCROSS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,-ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ELLSWORTH A. HAW- THORNE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

' AUTQMATIC PnoNoGBnPH APPARATUS.

Specification-of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application filed. August 9, 1907, Serial No. 387,782.

4 citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in Automatic Phonograph Apparatus, of which the followmechanism'after the reprodueer mg is a specification. V

Oneobje'ct of my invention is to insure the startingof the mechanism when a coin is deposited in the slot and the stopping of said to the end of the record and has been returned to'the starting point again. A' further object is to effect-positive engagement of the reproducer carriage with the feed and return screws and positive retention of such engagement -during the entire time of travel ofthe re oducer'earriage in its forward or baiekwar' movements; and a still further object is 'to readily regulatethe length of travel of the carriage to accord with the length of the record with which the device is equi pedl These ObJGCtSI' attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings which s. ow the preferred embodiment of the invention, and in 1 r J, 31;; "Figure 1 is a perspective view 'of a portion of a coin-actuated phonograph; Fig. 2 is a view of the same, partly in transverse section v and artlyin elevationg'Fig." 3 is aview showing, detached from each other and pantly broken away, the members of the contact device whereby the electric circuit is closed or opened Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rear side of the device for locking the reproducei carriage in engagement with the.

feed or return screw; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion'of the mechanlsm, and F 1g. 6 1s a perspective View showing the application-of.

certain features of my invention to a phono graph Instrument of a somewhat different type from that shown in Fig. 1. a

Referring in the first instance to Figs. -1 to 5 {of the drawing, 1 represents a support of any ap ropria-te character to which is se-.

cured t 1e bed-plate 2 of the phonograph instrument, this bedplate having suitable standards providing bearings for the spindle which carries the phonograph -=record 3. Thisspindle is .driven by .a belt 4 from an electric motor'suitably located and connected by proper gearing to the main feed screw 5 as traveled that the reproducer stylus will enga c with the record, as shown in Fig. 2, and t e halfnutof the arm -11-being in engagement with arm 11 provided with a half-nut for engaging the return screw 6, the half-nut of the arm 10 being in, engagement with the feed screw .5 i when the reproducer carriage islowered so the return screw 6 when the reprofducer carriage, after having completed its forward movement, is lifted so as to free the reprodueer stylus from the record preparatory to the return movement of the carria e.

In front of the record holderis a ongitudinal bar 12 upon which the arm 11 is sup orted when the front portion of the re ro ucer carriage is depressed so as to bring t e repro duoer. styllus into engagement with the record, as s own in Fig. 2, and in front of this bar is a locking device whereby the reproducer carriage is firmly held in either its raised or lowered position during its forward or backward traverse. lhis locking device consists of a vertical plate 13 having a base. which is slotted at each end for the reception of confining screws 14 whereby the lockingdevice can be adjusted longitudinally in res eet: to the record, as may be desired. The p ate 13 has a flanged up er portion 15 and to the inner face of said ange is secured a bar 16 by means of set screws 17 passing through a 'slot 19 in the plate 13, whereby the bar 16 can be adjusted longitudinally in respect to the flanged top of the plate 13, and can thus be caused to project to' any desired extent beyond one .end of said. flange, as shown in Fi -1. when the reproducer carriage is in oper- 8.131V816l8i10I1W1tl1 the record, as shown in Fig. 2, the forward end of the arm 11 projects beneath the bar 16 and flan e 15 of the plate 13 and the reproduceris t ereby revented from rising from the record, an at the same time the half-nut of the arm 10 of the reproducer carriage is held firmly in engagement with the forward feed screw 5,-this condition of affairs continuing until the-arm 11 passes'beyond thefprojecting end of the bar 16, and istherefore freeto rise.

Securedto and depfen'ding from the rear the direction to raise arm 1 l.

fit

side of the carriage is an arm .19 (Figs. 2 and 5) and mounted on tin; support] is a bracket carrying a h-rtt spring which extends into the path of movement of the end of arm 18. Bracket 21 is adjustable parallel to the axis of the record by being providedwith a slot and being serured to the support by a screw passing through this slot, as shown in Fig. 5. As the arm 1! nears the projecting end of bar in, arm l ngages spring 28 and puts the same under tension so that the spring tends to rock the carriage on rod 9 in Thus, as soon as arm 11 is tree of the end of bar 16, the can riage will he rocked to l'ree the hall-nut of the arm it) from engagementwith the forward l'ced screw 5, and bring the halt-nut of the arm 11 into engagement with the return :screw (3, and during, the return movement of the carriage 'the arm 11 will bear upon the top of the bar 16 and Ilange 15, which will thus serve to support the reproducer carriage in its raised position and maintain the arm 1t in positive engagement with the re' turn'screw' t5.

The rear end of the bar 16 is beveled, as shown in Figs. 1 aud t, and if the 3 ring 28 does not lift the arm 11 to its full height, the beveled end of the bar will engage said arm and ellect the completion of the movement. When the arm '11 reaches the end of the llange 15 on the backward movement of the reprodueer carriage, it drops therefrom,- owing to the preponileranre'in weight of the overhanging front portion of said carriage, and the original conditions are thereby restored, the carriage being free from the control of the return screw and again placed under control of the. forward feed screw 5. At this time it heroines necessary to stop the operation ol' the motorwhereby the recordi'arr 'iug spindle is operated, otherwise the device would operate continuously. The: motor was originally started by dropping a coin through the guide. 21, the coin dropping into a cup 22 and then rolling tlu-rel'rom through a tunnel 33, into a suitable recept'at'le. The cup 2:. is carried by one arm 24 of a lever pivoted to a standard 25 on the bed-plate ol' the phonograph and having a counterweighted arm 26, hirh projects into the path of the'arn'l ll ol' the re n'oducer carriage when the same drops l'romt l0 ("l\(l ol' the Ilangt- H) of the locking plate l3. When said arm '11 is in its lower position, however, the lever arm Lti can project above the same, and-this position is assumed by it when the impact ol the coin lallin a into the cup 22 depresses the arm l of the lever. iy' this movement said arm l-l is forced between a pair ol' lingers 27 on a plate 2i) and a series'ol' spring lingers :zo forming art ol a plate 3] which is pivotalli mounted on the upper end ol the plate .29 and is acted upon by a spring 32. interposed between the two plates, as

lshown in Fig. 3, and tending to push the plate 31 outwardly so as to press its spring iingers 3() towards the fingers 27 with a degree of force determined by the adjustment oi-a set screw 33, which passes through an opening in the plate 31 and screws into a threaded openingin the upper portion of the plate 29.

forming part of an electric circuit containing the driving motor for the record-carryin spindle, another wire 35, forming part of sai circuit, being connected to the standard 25. When, therefore, the lev'e'rarm 24 is forced down between the fingers 27 and the spring lingers an electrical connection is established between thewires 34 and 35, and the electric circuit through the motor is completed, the frictional hold of the fingers 27 and 30 upon the lever arm 24 being sullicientto retain the parts in this position afterthe coin has dropped from the cup 22. When, however, at the end ofthe return motion of the rerodu'cer carriage, the armil drops fronrt 1e fianged'upper end of the locking plate 13, it strikes the lever arm 26 and de presses the same so as to raise the arm 24 freefrom contact with the fmgels 27 and 30, thereby opening the circuit through the motor and stopping the 0 eration oi the same until another com has een deposited in the cup 22.

the flanged upper dortion of the locking plate 13 provides for the retention of the reproducer carriage in operative relation with the record throughout any desired length of travel of said carriage, whereby such extent of travel can be accurately gaged to suit the length of the record with which the device is equipped.

in Fig.5 I have illustrated the circuit opening and closing devicesin connection with a phonograph of somewhat dill'erent ty 0 from that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4. n this embodiment of my invention the arm 11 of the reproduccr carriage T, on the forward movement of said carriage, when the arm is depressed, passes beneath an arm 40 on a able hearings in the cabinet carrying the phonograph instrument, the lower end of said arm -11 having two arms 4; and 43, the former acted upon by a spring 44 and the. arm -13 being adapted to act upon a third arm of the lever which carries the circuit closing arm 24 and the counterweighted arm 26. ()uthe rearward movement of the reproducer carriage its arm 11 strikes the arm 40 and turns the shaft 41 so as to cause its arm 43 to strike the arm 45 andthereby lift the arm 24 out of contact with the fingers 27 and 30 of the circuit closing device, the shaft 41 and its arms being restored to normal position To the plate 29 is connected a wire 34' The adjustment of the bar 16 in respect to vertical shalt -41, which is mounted in suitby the spring 44 as soon as the arm 40 is free from contact with the arm 11 of the reproducer carriage. In this figure of the drawing, 46 represents the motor whereby the recordcarryings )indle of the phonograph is rotated, and the electrical connections comprise the wire 47 leading from the plate 29 to the motor, the wire leading from the motor to one pole of the battery or other current generator, and the wire 50 leading from the other )ole of said generator to the circuit-closing lever, the circuit being closed in the same manner as before by the dc )ression of the lever arm 24 into contact with the fingers 27 and 30 when the coin drops into the receiving cn 22.

l ai'n aware'that previous to my invention phonographs having forward and return feed screws for the reproducer carriage have been combined with the electro-magnetic devices for shifting the screw-engaging devices fromone screw to the other when the carriage reaches the limit ofits forward travel, but, so far as I am aware, I am the first toprovlde a mechanical or non-magnetic device for this purpose, or any device for positively locking each screw-engaging device in en agement with its screw during the travel of the carriage both forwardly and backward] or a device whereby the movement of t c carriage which brings the screw-engaging device into engagement withtlie forward feed screw always effects at the same time the o wiring of the circuit in which the driving electromotor is contained.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows l. The combination of the reprodueer carriage of a phonograph, a return screw therefor, a screw engaging device. connected to the carriage, and a rigidly mounted bar for engaging said device and'locking the same in engagement with the return screw.

2, The combination of the traveling reproducer carriage. of a phonograph, a screw for feeding the same forwardly, a screw for effecting the. return movement, screw-engaging devices connected to the carriage, and means for locking one of said devices in engagement with the forward feed during one movement of the carriage and the other in engagement withthereturn screw during the reverse mowmicnt.

The combination of the traveling reproduccr carriage of a phonograph, a screw for feeding the same forwardly, a screw-engaging device connected to the carriage, a supporting bar for the carriage during the forward movement of the same, and a locking bar between which and said supporting bar a member of the carriage is confined throughout such forward movement.

4. 'lhc. combination of the traveling cmriagc of a ihonograph, with a locking bar therefor ad ustable as to its length.

-.5. The combination of the traveling carriage of a phonograph, a feed screw therefor, a screw-engaging device connected tothe carriage, and a locking bar for said screw-engaging device adjustable as to its length,

6. The combination of the traveling carriage of a phone yraph, a screw the same forward y, a return screw, screw-engaging devices connected to the carriage, and a locking bar, one of Whose faces locks said devices during the forward movement of the carriage and the other during the return movement.

7 The combination of the traveling carriage of a phonograph, a bar on which the carriage is pivotally mounted, forward and return feed screws, screw-engaging devices connected to the carriage, a locking bar for holding said devices in engagement with their respective screws, and automatic means for turning said carriage aboutthc bar on which it"is mounted when the carriage reaches the end of its movement in one direction.

8. The combination of the traveling carriage of a phonograph, a'bar on which the carriage .is pivotally mounted, forward and return feed screws, screw-engaging devices connected to the earriage, a locking bar ex tending in thedirection of movement of said carriage for holding said devices in engagement with their respective screws, and automatic and non-magnetic means for turning said carriage about the bar on which it is mounted when the carriage reaches the end of its movement in one direction,

9. The combination of the travelingk-ar- 'lag f a phonograph, a bar on which the carriage is pivotally mounted, forward and return feed screws, screw-engaging devices connected to the carriage, a locking bar extending in the direction of movement If said carriage for holding said devices in engagement with their resy'icctivc screws, 'and a spring for turning the carriage about the bar on which it is mounted when the. carriage. reaches the end of its movement in one direction.

10. The combination of the travclihg carriage. of a phonograph, a bar on which the carriage is pivotally. mounted, forward and return feed screws, screw-engaging devices connected to the carriagc, means for holding one or the other of said devices in .engagc.- ment. with its corresponding screw, a spring, and means actuated by the movement of the. carriage for subjecting said spring to tension, said spring acting on said carriage to turn it about thebar on which it is mounted to effect the shifting of said screw-engaging devices when the latter are released by said holding means.

H. The combination of the traveling carriage of a phonograph, forward and return feed screws therefor, screw-engaging devices for feeding screw-engaging devices in connected to said carria e, a bar for locking said devices in positio during both their forward and return movements, and a spring for elfecting the shifting of said devices in respect to the feed screws and to the'locking barwhen the carriage reaches the termination of its movement in one direction.

12. The combination of a traveling reproducer carriage of a phonograph, forward and return feed screws therefor, screw;- engaging devices connected to the carriage, a bar having one face for locking one of said osition during the forward movement of t e carriage and F another face for locking the other screwengaging device in. position during the return movement of the carriage, said bar having a beveled end, and a yielding device for shifting the screw-engaging devices when the carriage reaches the termination of its forward movement and moving the same into position to engage the beveled end of the locking bar. a

13. The combination of the traveling reroducer carriage of a phonograph, means or movingthe same forwardly and backwardly, means for supporting the carriage during its movement in one direction ermitting it to drop by gravity at theen of such movement, and a motor or circuitgoverning lever actuated by an element of the reproducer carriage as the same drops by gravity from said supporting means.

14. The combination of the traveling reproducer carriage of a phonograph, means ormoving the same forwardly and backwardly, means for supporting said carriage during its movement in one direction permitting it to drop by gravity at the end of such movement, a motor or circuit-controlling lever mounted in position to be struck by a member of the reproducer carriage as. the same drops by gravity from said supporting means.

15. The combination of the traveling car- I riage of a phonograph, means for moving the same forwardly {L1H backwardly, an electric circuit containing the driving motor for the carriage, a circuit-controlling lever, means for actuating the same to close the circuit of the motor, and a contact device for said lever having a plurality of oppositely-facing fingers with which said lever coacts, one set of said fingers being elastic, said lever being engaged by said carriage and withdrawn from said device thereby as the carriage completes a forward and return movement.

16. The combination of the traveling carriage of a phonograph, means for moving the the same forwardly and backwardly, an electric circuit containing the driving motor for the carriage, a circuit controlling lever,

means for actuating the same to close the cir-- cuit of the motor, and a contact device engaged by said lever and constituting. a frictional retainer therefor, said contact device havingv a plurality of oppositely-facing fingers between which the lever is interposed, one set of said fingers being elastic and pro -vided with means for adjusti v the pressure of the same upon the lever, said lever being engaged by said carriage and withdrawn from said device thereby as the carriage completes a forward and return movement.

17. The combination of the traveling carriage of a phonograph, forward and return feed screws therefor, screw-engaging devices connected to the carriage, a bar for holding one or the other of said devices in en agement with its respective screw, said bar mg adjustable to var its length, and a spring for effecting the shlfting of said devices when the carriage reaches the termination of its movement in one direction.

This specification signed and witnessed this 7th day of August, 1907.

ISAAC W. NORCROSS. Witnesses:

D. S. EDMONDS,

SAMUEL L. MARCUS. 

